Dispositional individual differences in cognitive effort investment: establishing the core construct

Abstract

Background Individuals tend to avoid effortful tasks, regardless of whether they are physical or mental in nature. Recent experimental evidence is suggestive of individual differences in the dispositional willingness to invest cognitive effort in goal-directed behavior. The traits need for cognition (NFC) and self-control are related to behavioral measures of cognitive effort discounting and demand avoidance, respectively. Given that these traits are only moderately related, the question arises whether they reflect a common core factor underlying cognitive effort investment. If so, the common core of both traits might be related to behavioral measures of effort discounting in a more systematic fashion. To address this question, we aimed at specifying a core construct of cognitive effort investment that reflects dispositional differences in the willingness and tendency to exert effortful control. Methods We conducted two studies (N = 613 and N = 244) with questionnaires related to cognitive motivation and effort investment including assessment of NFC, intellect, self-control and effortful control. We first calculated Pearson correlations followed by two mediation models regarding intellect and its separate aspects, seek and conquer, as mediators. Next, we performed a confirmatory factor analysis of a hierarchical model of cognitive effort investment as second-order latent variable. First-order latent variables were cognitive motivation reflecting NFC and intellect, and effortful self-control reflecting self-control and effortful control. Finally, we calculated Pearson correlations between factor scores of the latent variables and general self-efficacy as well as traits of the Five Factor Model of Personality for validation purposes. Results Our findings support the hypothesized correlations between the assessed traits, where the relationship of NFC and self-control is specifically mediated via goal-directedness. We established and replicated a hierarchical factor model of cognitive motivation and effortful self-control that explains the shared variance of the first-order factors by a second-order factor of cognitive effort investment. Conclusions Taken together, our results integrate disparate literatures on cognitive motivation and self-control and provide a basis for further experimental research on the role of dispositional individual differences in goal-directed behavior and cost–benefit-models.

The role of cognitive motivation and self-regulation in coping with occupational demands

“…(3) measures an individual's capacity to overcome or alter emotional, cognitive, and behavioral responses, and (4) the ability to focus and shift attention, therefore the last two relate to self-regulation. This structure could be confirmed by means of factor analysis (Kührt et al, 2021): The scale scores of the NFC and intellect scales loaded on a common cognitive motivation (COM) factor and the scale scores of the self-control and effortful control scales loaded on an effortful self-control (ESC) factor. The primary factors, again, loaded on a higher order secondary factor cognitive effort investment (CEI), which can be described as enjoyment and persistence in thinking and problem solving against inner and outer resistance.…”

“…First longitudinal data on the relationship between NFC and SC suggests, they may reciprocally strengthen each other over time (Nishiguchi et al, 2016). Being usually moderately associated, the relationship between NFC and SC could possibly be explained by individuals' directedness towards goals (Kührt et al, 2021) and action (Grass et al, 2019).…”

“…Recently it was shown that COM and SR can been subsumed into a second-order factor of cognitive effort investment (Kührt et al, 2021).…”

Using machine learning to investigate earning capacity in patients undergoing psychosomatic rehabilitation—A retrospective health data analysis

“…Diagnoses included all diagnoses coded in the ICD-10 and were either part of the admission papers for referral to psychosomatic rehabilitation or diagnosed by medical or psychological staff during rehabilitation. Computer-assisted questionnaire diagnostics were conducted in groups of five at admission and discharge and included the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) ( 16 ), Measures of Work-related Behavioral and Experiential Patterns (AVEM) ( 17 ), Hamburg Modules for the Assessment of Psychosocial Health (Health-49) ( 18 ), Abridged Cognitive Effort Scale (ACES) ( 19 ), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI-G) ( 20 ), SINUS-Milieu questionnaire for Germany (SINUS) ( 21 ), and the Adjustment Disorder New Module 20 (ADNM-20) ( 22 ). Analyses were run in R (Version 4.0.2) and R Studio (Version 1.3.959).…”

Cognitive Motivation as a Resource for Affective Adjustment and Mental Health

“…For each of the four subscales (i.e., NFC, Intellect, Self-Control, Effortful Control), a sum score is calculated from the six items of the respective scales. Scale development was based on a previous investigation on the relationship between NFC and self-control ( Kührt et al, 2021 ). For the ACES, the six items per scale with the highest item-total correlations were selected.…”